Magic, juggling collide in 'Kings of Vaudeville'

By Luc Cebulski

Times Standard , June 23, 2005

Ever tried to pick a card, any card, while beanbags are being chucked through your airspace and a guy is shoving a knife through his own arm with a big goofy grin on his face? Me neither, but we both have the chance starting tonight at the Arcata Dance Center when Shantaram the Magicianand the gravity-defying Shea Freelove team up to perform in "The Kings of Vaudeville". A show that mixes the dexterity of parlor magic with the ambidexterity of juggling.

Sounds like a bit much for two sets of hands to keep up with? Normally, you'd be right. But fast and sticky fingers are exactly what you're going to see at this show -- or rather, not see, considering both Freelove and Shantaram have hands that are often hard to keep track of.

Shantaram the Magician owes his fast hands to pure diligence. He's 23 years old and has been performing slight-of-hand card tricks and other parlor magic all over Humboldt County for 14 years. It should be mentioned that while the term "parlor trick" is often used to describe weak or unimpressive displays of magic (an idea instilled in popular culture by insecure fireball-wielding wizards and flashy David Blaine types), these tricks are actually some of the most difficult to pull off.

Parlor magic is performed in very close quarters and with a lot of audience participation. Spectators are able to scrutinize every move the magician makes. One slip up and a smartass in the front row shouts, "Hey, the three of diamonds has been on the bottom of the deck the whole time!" The jig is up and the magic is gone. Keeping that in mind, Shantaram is more impressive with a deck of cards than David Copperfield ever was with a big mirror and the Statue of Liberty.

I visited Shantaram at one of his several day jobs last Saturday so he could explain what magic is all about and show off a few tricks (with a deck I provided just to keep him on the up and up).

"Magic is all in the presentation," he said while simultaneously giving a customer change and making all four Aces appear at the top of the deck.

"That's all just card counting, isn't it?" asked the customer.

"Nope, it's all just magic," he replied with a sly grin.

Sly grins are one thing Shantaram and Shea Freelove have in common even if their individual acts differ. Freelove has a grin on his face no matter what he's tossing into the air or balancing precariously on his chin. And it only gets wider when he successfully performs tricky behind the back tosses or the ever-popular "hammering foreign objects into his nose" routine.

Freelove, 24, works as a stage manager and technical director for the Arcata Dance Studio full time when he's not performing. But performing is where he gets his real kicks. Juggling machetes, eating and breathing fire or painful looking acts with nails; if it's been in a circus sideshow, Freelove does it.

He's currently working on a bug eating routine that's sure to reintroduce audience members to their lunch.

But for a guy who has been known to continue with a performance after enduring burns that would send most people running to the emergency room, eating a few caterpillars should be nothing.

"Skin is pretty resilient," said Freelove in reference to his fire-eating mishaps, "The epidermis is an amazing thing." A statement easier made by a trained fire-eater like Freelove than by a high school kid with a bright idea and dreams of the Big Top. So don't even think about it kids.

Despite his dangerous repertoire, Freelove plans to keep his death defiance to a minimum for "The Kings of Vaudeville." There will be more jokes coming out of his mouth than gouts of fire.

Though Shantaram and Freelove have been working together in some capacity for the last six years, this is the first time they've had the chance to collaborate on their own show. As the title denotes, "The Kings of Vaudeville" is a variety show that weaves song, dance and comedy skits together with the magic and juggling that the two entertainers are best known for.

They didn't want to give much of the actual show away in interviews but they did stress that the audience, who will participate in the act, will be amazed.

"In every one of our acts we try to break down the fourth wall," said Freelove, "and bring the audience into the show."

"The Kings of Vaudeville" begins at 8 p.m. on Thursday at the Arcata Dance Center, 824 L Street, and will run through June 25. Tickets are $8 general and $6 students/seniors. For reservations, call 845-5842. If you like what you see, both Shea Freelove and Shantaram the Magician are for hire. Contact Freelove at the Arcata Dance Center and Shantaram at his website: www.shantaramenterprises.com